Senate GOP Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) is calling on the Energy Department’s inspector general to investigate whether the agency’s chief lending officer has shown favoritism to so-called “green” energy companies linked to a trade association he founded before assuming his current position. .
Barrasso, 71, said he was “immediately calling for a thorough investigation” of the Loan Program Office (LPO) and its director, Jigar Shah, citing concerns that the office “has been turned into a profit center” for a private trade association called the Cleantech Leaders Roundtable (CTLR). , according to a Wednesday memo sent to Energy IG Teri Donaldson and obtained by The Post.
Shah founded the renewable energy association in 2017 and served as its president until March 2021, when he was appointed to provide $400 billion in loans at the Department of Energy under President Biden.
Senate GOP Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) is calling on the Energy Department’s inspector general to investigate whether its chief lending officer has shown favoritism to “green” energy. Office of Loan Programs Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/Shutterstock Jigar Shah “has been turned into a profit center” for a private trade association called the Cleantech Leaders Roundtable (CTLR), Barrasso said. Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
Shah has maintained in previous congressional testimony that he had “no role to play in choosing who gets the loans,” but Barrasso believes the appointees have clearly violated Biden’s ethics pledge called the “revolving door” ban.
During Shah’s tenure, the office has “green” loans for cleantech-related companies, including a partial loan guarantee of $3 billion to solar firm Sunnova, which is accused of defrauding elderly dementia patients out of tens of thousands of dollars, reports show.
A Sunnova board member, Anne Slaughter Andrew, also served concurrently on Cleantech’s board when the loan was granted, Barrasso said in his letter, but has since left that position.
Shah has “greenlit” loans for Cleantech-related companies, including a partial loan guarantee of $3 billion for solar firm Sunnova, which allegedly defrauded elderly dementia patients. Fox News
The departure came after Barrasso and House Energy Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) asked about his dual role.
On Dec. 7, Shah wrote to Barrasso that he “does not individually select which entities the Department provides loans or loan guarantees” and has been “not affiliated” with Cleantech since taking office, according to a copy of the letter obtained by the Department.
“The new evidence strongly contradicts Director Shah’s claims of separation from CTLR,” Barrasso countered in his letter to Donaldson, which pointed out that the lending czar was listed on the trade association’s website as “board president emeritus” as late as March 2023.
The Wyoming Republican asked the Energy Department’s Office of the Inspector General to determine whether Shah had a conflict of interest related to his trade group. Getty Images
“Director Shah’s impact in LPO goes beyond direct involvement with loan approvals,” Barrasso continued. “As he himself noted in his letter on December 7, his influence was more nuanced, subtly guiding the direction of the LPO. This indirect but significant influence in LPO activities underscores his significant contribution to the strategic operations of the office.”
Shah’s “sway” is further evidenced by his status as a “titan” in Time magazine’s list of the Most Influential Climate Leaders in Business 2023, as well as the praise bestowed upon him by Cleantech members, Barrasso added.
The Wyoming Republican asked Donaldson to determine whether Shah had a conflict of interest related to his trade group, whether he improperly provided any loans or whether there were discrepancies in his accounts of his Cleantech affiliation.
Barrasso also asked the watchdog’s office to determine whether Andrew had a conflict of interest related to the Sunnova loan.
“The investigation is important to ensure that the LPO operates with the highest standards of integrity, fairness and transparency,” he said in the letter, a copy of which was also sent to Susan Beard, the Department of Energy’s designated ethics officer.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
